Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our Faith, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame and has set down at the right hand of
the Throne of God.
I don’t believe there has ever been a more frustrated time
with more frustrated people in the history of mankind. Well maybe there was, but God destroyed them
all except the eight people on the ark.
The Bible describes this time in Genesis 6 as “every intent of the thoughts of
man’s heart was only evil continually.”
Perhaps they had become so FRUSTRATED
in the pursuit of their passion that satisfaction had become an elusive prize.
Turn on the news…It is FRUSTRATING
to watch all the FRUSTRATED PEOPLE
embroiled in their FRUSTRATING
SITUATIONS. College students,
renamed “Snowflakes” are frustrated because, suddenly they are faced
with someone who doesn’t agree with them or speaks harshly to “little Jonny” and suddenly they are
demanding “Safe Spaces.”
Politicians seek to not just defeat each other in elections but to
actually DESTROY the other person’s
character, family and legacy. Employees
are frustrated with their employers, employers with their employees; Parents are frustrated with their
children, children with parents; Pastors are frustrated with their
congregations, congregations with their pastors and we are all FRUSTRATED AT THE GOVERNMENT.
WHAT IS THE REAL ROOT
OF OUR FRUSTRATION?
As it was in the days of Noah…Could it be we have become FRUSTRATED as we chase the ever elusive
prize of our Passion? In America we are
taught to “FOLLOW OUR PASSION;” or in our vernacular, “CHASE THE AMERICAN DREAM!” So we work, we dream, we plan, we scheme but
never quite attain.
I recently heard this quote by Mike Rowe, “I DON’T FOLLOW MY PASSION;
I CARRY IT WITH ME.”
WOW!!!! THAT’S IT!!! We are chasing a “Passion” when true “Passion”
is carried with you. TRUE PASSION is comprised of your dreams,
your goals, your pursuit, your mission; you cannot separate yourself from your “Passion;”
IT IS WHO YOU ARE!
The best example of TRUE
PASSION is Jesus; He did not come to earth to PURSUE HIS PASSION but He CARRIED
HIS PASSION TO EARTH WITH HIM! Of
course Jesus knew His destiny; He was fully aware of His mission and nothing distracted
Him from completing that mission because it was HIS PASSION and He carried it with Him.
So what was the Passion of Christ? Was it the cross? Was it miracles? Was it preaching and teaching? Was it making Disciples that would carry on
His good works? No, No, No, No and
No!!! The Passion of Christ was the “Heart
of God;” love for mankind, repairing the breach sin had created and
bringing them back into fellowship with the Father.
JESUS CARRIED THAT PASSION TO THE CROSS!
It is time to set frustration aside and spend a little time
seeking the “Heart of God.” Allow
His “passion”
to become your “passion;” then carry it with you everywhere you go. Carry it with you to work; you’ll be a better
employee. Carry it with you as you talk
to your neighbor; you’ll see that aggravating neighbor with more compassion.
Carry it with you when you walk into church; you won’t care that someone sat in
your pew, which songs have been chosen or even about the length of the Pastor’s
sermon.
If we will stop PURSUING
OUR PASSION and begin to CARRY OUR
PASSION, the frustration of life will dim as the flame inside us begins to
burn brighter; suddenly our vision will be that of the “Joy set before us.”
♪♪“Jesus keep me near the cross,
there a precious fountain
Free to all, a healing stream, flows
from Calvary’s mountain.
In the cross, in the cross, be my
glory ever
Till my raptured soul shall find
rest beyond the river.”♪♪
No comments:
Post a Comment